Andy Hines' Kawasaki KZ400

The KZ400 is an oft-overlooked UJM made by Kawasaki from '74 to '84. When stripped of its body work and reduced to the basics, it starts looking pretty good. In the hands of a pro like Cory Hebert at Maindrive Cycles, it gets even better. Rather than take the easy way and just lop off the rear end and throw on a universal fiberglass tail, Cory built a loop and crafted this KZ's tail from steel.

This is one of the first ChopCult features to show actual in-progress photos so you can visualize the build process. There are more on Cory's Flickr Page. In its raw state the machine looks menacing and ready to go, and even slicker finished off with paint and seat.

Owner: Andy Hines

Location: Carrollton, TX

Bike name: Slack Stealer, it's a phrase I overheard my son using. He and his older brother were fighting over a blanket while watching TV. The younger one yelled, “Gimme some slack, you ol’ slack stealer!” My wife and I looked at each other and started laughing, and it came to me: "That’s the name of my bike." My son takes credit for it at every opportunity